


Take Me Home

by kaynibbler16



Series: Home to You [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-19 05:57:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11891475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaynibbler16/pseuds/kaynibbler16
Summary: He just wanted it all to end. The memories, the pain, the loss. All of it. But something was holding him back; something possibly worth living for.





	Take Me Home

**Author's Note:**

> Sort of a continuation of Last Chance. I'm making it into a series of one-shots, so hopefully there will be more to come. :D Enjoy!

Breathing burned his lungs, the air corrosive against his newly born cells. It hurt. Everything hurt. His skin felt worn and used, as if he hadn’t just regenerated into a brand new body.

He had just destroyed Gallifrey. His planet was gone, everything torn apart by his hand, trapped in time.

And yet, he survived. Why? Why did he live? What did he have left?

The Doctor felt the TARDIS shudder as she threw herself into the time vortex, taking them away from the quickly healing wound in time left by the end of the Time War. The console sparked as the time rotor exploded and the Doctor wondered how long the TARDIS would last before she finally pulled herself apart. He could tell that she was trying to get them somewhere, but the pain rippling through his body from regeneration distracted him enough that he didn't care.

He just wanted everything to end.

Everything went dark as the TARDIS violently landed and the floor hit him in the face, or did his face hit the floor, it was hard to tell any longer. Smoke was quickly filling the room and the Doctor knew that if he wanted to live he had to move.

He didn't.

Light flooded the console room and the Doctor could hear someone calling out for him, but he refused to respond. Oh, this regeneration was stubborn then. Not that it mattered.

Hands touched his bruised face and he felt another mind trying to reach into his own, but he blocked it out as best he could. It was hard to focus through the pain and it took all his strength to keep the person at bay.

It was too much and he quickly lost consciousness, finally released from the pain assaulting his senses.

His nightmares were almost worse than reality. Almost. His people screamed, begging him to save them and he tried, he really did, but he couldn't.

Instead, he became the destroyer and killed them all. Every last man, woman, and child burned by his hands.

And his punishment for this grievous atrocity? He survived; the planet killer lived.

Someone was stroking his forehead, whispering soothing words he didn't deserve. He wanted to scream, to rail at this person to leave him be. He was not worthy of such kindness. Please, just let him be.

He should have died with his people.

_No._

What?

_No. You listen to me right now. You had to end the war._

No.

_Yes. The universe would have burned if you hadn't stopped it on Gallifrey._

Stop.

_You did what needed to be done. To protect the universe. To protect us._

No. Just stop. Please.

_You had to protect us. To protect our child._

Shut up! Just shut up! I don't have any children and I never will! Just leave me alone!

The voice went quiet and he thought that whoever it was must have left him alone to wallow in his despair.

_I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Doctor._

Why?! Why must you continue to torment me?! Is this another punishment for what I've done?!

_No!_

Then what do you want from me?! I deserve to die! I should have died!

_No, please. I can't lose you. We can't lose you. Please come back to us, my Doctor. Please._

Why? What do I have left?

_You have me. You have us and you always will._

Everything dies. I should know. I've lost everything.

_No, you haven't. We're still here, Doctor. Come back to us._

Who are you?

_The one who's been waiting for you to come home. You know me._

I can't remember.

_You will and we'll be here when you do. For now, sleep and remember._

I don't want to sleep anymore! I don't want to remember their screams! _Please_ , don't make me sleep.

_I'm sorry, but you need to rest. We'll always be here with you. You're not alone, love._

His thoughts stilled, an impossible memory hitting him with the force of a lorry. 

Rose?

_I'm here._

Warmth spread throughout his chest and he relaxed a fraction, just enough for sleep to pull him under again.

He dreamed of an ethereal golden being with a tongue touched smile. She caressed his mind, whispering in the language of time, and it healed the worst of the wounds in his hearts. Her name was etched throughout time and space. Two words powerful enough to end the Time War, but wait...he ended the war.

_I want you safe, my Doctor._

_I create myself._

When he finally woke it was to watery brown eyes and a smile he would recognize anywhere. "Hello, Rose. I'm home."


End file.
